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Reading a Wine Label
There is only one real question: "Is the wine any good?" The answer, unfortunately, is often submerged beneath enthusiastic marketing waffle. Don't be put off! You can always trust the wine label to provide you with facts about the wine. Don't forget to turn the bottle to review the second (back) label, you may be surprised at the richness of the information provided. |
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Classification
A superficial acquaintance with a few basics is all you need—classification codes aren't the most helpful bits of label information! If you want to guarantee quality, you're better off choosing a reliable producer name. The USA classification system, AVA, guarantees geographical origins of wine, not quality. New World countries follow similar rules while Europe tends to classify by region. The following pared-down list offers a guideline:
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Wine Types
Armed with these general guidelines, you can quickly move on to debunking . . .
Label Jargon
Learn how to extract relevant information from a wine label.
Grape Varieties
The simplest way to guess how a wine will taste is to know more about the grape variety or varieties of the wine.
Ordering Wine
Learn how to negotiate confusing restaurant wine lists with confidence. |
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Special
Quality Wine
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Quality Wine
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Regional Wine
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Basic Wine
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Germany
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QmP
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QbA or VDQS
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Landwein
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Tafelwein
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France
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None Specific
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AC/AOC
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Vin de pays
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Vin de table
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Italy
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DOCG
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DOC
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IGT
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Vino da tavola
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Spain
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DOC
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DO
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Vino de
Tierra or Vino comarcal
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Vino de mesa
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Portugal
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None Specific
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DOC or IPR
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Vinho regional
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Vinho de mesa
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Finally, a few confusing wine phrases and words to dismiss:
• "Supérieur " does not necessarily refer to superior wine. The French term "supérieur" and its Italian equivalent merely indicate that the wine has a slightly higher alcohol content.
• "Grand vin" on Bordeaux labels means that it is the main wine of the winery, rather than a great wine.
• The word "Reserve" is often misleading. In some countries it refers to wines that have been matured in oak for longer than standard wines. In other countries it means nothing.
• Ignore generalisations such as "classic", "limited release", "special." They are simply marketing phrases to make the wine seem more unique.
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